SCOTTISH Ballet’s Up Close tour will give audiences in the Borders a chance to see their national dance company up close as the dancers perform in a range of smaller, and intimate, venues across the country.

The dancers show off their range in six short pieces at the Volunteer Hall in Galashiels on Friday, October 17.

At times deliciously sensual, then high energy and vibrant this special programme spans the full spectrum of ballet from classical pointe work to contemporary dance - and features work created at the heart of Scottish Ballet exclusively by and for the company, as well as original pieces by hot British choreographers James Cousins and Martin Lawrance, and the richly lyrical choreography of California’s Helen Pickett. The performance is completed in spectacular style with a witty romp from Scotland’s most famous father-of-dance Kenneth MacMillan – one of the most influential choreographers of his generation.

“With Up Close, we present a collage of vibrant works beginning with six short, contrasting dances from today’s hottest names in choreography,” explains Scottish Ballet Artistic Director Christopher Hampson.

“The second half of the programme is Kenneth MacMillan’s raucous Elite Syncopations – a fun, witty piece inspired by the social dances of the 1920s including the Charleston and Cakewalk, and with stylistic influences including the silent movie routines of Chaplin and Harold Lloyd – it’s a real carnival of colour.” Scottish Ballet, which has been working with the Michelle Douglas School of Dance in Kelso, is hosting a free pre-show talk before the show at 6.30pm when audiences will be able to enjoy an exclusive insight into this programme of six special ballet shorts – sexy, quirky, moving – and all curated especially for the Up Close tour.

Free tickets for the pre-show talk must be reserved online at scottishballet.co.uk in advance. Tickets for the show, priced £15 or £12 concession, are available from Jedburgh Visitor Information Centre or online at scottishballet.co.uk